2 Margret duck breasts
Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1/2 cup dry white wine (4 fluid ounces; 120ml)
1 1/2 cups of basic chicken broth or store-bought stock combined with 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin (12 fluid ounces; 360ml)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces; 60g)
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 orange
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
With a sharp knife, gently score duck breasts in a tight crosshatch pattern, keeping the scores 1/8 inch apart. This precision isn't simply art. The object is to score the skin without penetrating the flesh in order to render fat.
The object is to keep some crispy fat and have red medium rare meat
Just barely score the skin through; to render more fat. Do not expose the flesh or the meat will overcook. Best way to avoid this delicate trick is to use a very sharp knife. In this way no pressure is needed and you simply glide the knife over fat.
After scoring, I season the duck with kosher salt, heavily on the fat side and just lightly on the flesh side. Much of the salt on the fat side melts off during cooking, so you need more than you’d expect to fully season that side. That’s all the prep you need before you start cooking.
Place duck breasts, skin side down, in a large, cold sauté pan. Place pan over low heat. To keep the edges from curling up, press duck breasts down with the help of a smaller sauté pan.
After about 5 minutes, the fat should begin to gently bubble. If the fat is either silent or spitting, adjust heat accordingly. Maintain the gentle bubbling of fat, pouring out excess rendered fat throughout the cooking process, until much of the fat has rendered, skin is golden brown, and duck's internal temperature is 1120°F , about 12 -15 minutes.
Increase heat to medium and further brown skin if needed, about 1 minute.
Flip the breasts over and sear the other side for 1 minute until internal temperature is 130°F
Rest for 5-10 minutes
Slice across the grain with thin slices. Thin slices provide the right combination of texture and flavor
Adapted with gratitude from chef Sohla El-Waylly https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2018/02/pan-seared-duck-breast.html
This recipe is about rendering enough fat and not overcooking flesh. For this reason you start with a cold pan and use low heat. For the same reason you score extensively though not deeply in order to accelerate rendering of fat while protecting the meat from excessive heat.
